Best place to work in Bournemouth? Streetwise HR, that’s where
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again… we love an award. The shelf is getting dangerously full, but we’re not complaining!
Jokes aside, being named Best Place to Work at the Bournemouth Business Awards is a special one for us. The whole Streetwise HR team loves where we work, which may sound like a cliché, but it’s because we all have a role in shaping it. We take pride in the business we’ve built and we love doing the same for the businesses we partner with.
Bournemouth Local Business Awards: Winner 2026, The BU Media, Science & Tech Best Place to Work Award, Streetwise HR
The Bournemouth Business Awards
The local business awards run by Marketing West are a brilliant celebration of the businesses, people and community that makes the BCP area what it is. They matter because they recognise what’s actually happening inside businesses, not just who you see in the local headlines. The culture, the people and the effort that rarely makes it into a press release.
We’ve been lucky enough to be involved in different ways over the years. This year, we sponsored the Poole Best Place to Work Award, following previous sponsorships, including:
B2B Business Award 2025 – Christchurch
New Business Award 2025 – Poole
Independent Business of the Year 2022 – Poole
Independent Business of the Year 2022 – Bournemouth
New Business of the Year 2022 – Christchurch
And last year, we were also proud winners of the Gold BCP B2B Business of the Year 2025.
Safe to say… we’re big fans.
Why we won Best Place to Work
This is the bit where we toot our own trumpets… indulge us for a few minutes.
We’re not a big corporate with deep pockets or lots of fancy benefits, pizza Fridays and beanbags but we’ve built something we’re incredibly proud of: a workplace with heart, purpose and a team that genuinely enjoys working together.
From a one-woman start-up to a small-but-mighty team of Gurus, we’ve grown by staying true to one thing: people first, always.
We don’t try to manufacture culture. We live it, daily.
Culture (the real kind)
Culture isn’t posters on walls or values in a handbook. It’s what people actually experience day to day. Ours is built on respect, trust and a healthy dose of humour.
We hire for people first. Skills can be developed, but kindness, integrity and attitude are far harder to teach.
That shows up in how we work:
Flexible working: We trust our people to manage their calendars – whether that’s for school runs, volunteering, networking or taking a breather on a low-energy day.
Shared values: Straight-talking, collaborative people who don’t take themselves too seriously.
Collaboration: There’s no red tape here. Everyone has a voice in how we do things.
Support > everything: Life happens. When it does, we show up for each other, no matter what.
Benefits that actually mean something
We don’t do generic perks for the sake of it. Everything we offer is shaped around what our team actually needs.
A few favourites:
Medical cash plan: because accessibility to health care matters to all of us.
Coffee on tap: if you knew the situations we handle, you’d keep the pot brewing too.
Regular team lunches: we’re proudly food-motivated, love quality time together, and deserve rewards for the things we pull off (see point above!).
Spa days, Christmas trips away and nights out: we mean it when we say we love spending time together.
Growth that actually sticks
We don’t just talk about development, we live it and this year’s been a big one.
Our chief, Debbie, has stepped into a visionary leadership role, while Katie and Kim have stepped into Director positions, shaping the next chapter of Streetwise HR. That shift hasn’t just changed roles internally, but has strengthened how we support clients and deliver HR that is more strategic, consistent and commercially focused.
What the team says
We could talk about culture all day long, but the team says it best:
“Working here is the perfect mix of fun, flexibility, and support. Between the endless coffee, the flexible hours that make juggling a young family possible, and the chance to drive my own projects like the HR Sounding Board, I feel I can grow both personally and professionally. Everyone genuinely cares, encourages curiosity, and celebrates new ideas. It’s rare to find a workplace that feels like a supportive community, where you can bring your full self, laugh, and still get meaningful work done every day.” - Kim
“Nine years in and I can honestly say working here has shaped me in more ways than I could’ve imagined! What I love most is the culture. It’s inclusive and I feel comfortable being myself every day. We choose clients based on shared values, so we work with people who respect and appreciate what we do. We share ideas, cheer each other on, and aren’t afraid to challenge one another. That mix of support and encouragement makes this an inspiring place to grow. Couldn’t ask for a better team!” - Katie
Why this matters
At the end of the day, our measure of success is simple: Are our people happy? Are they growing? Are they proud to be part of Streetwise HR? If the answer is yes (which it is) then we’re happy.
And getting external validation for this, through this award, makes us even happier.
Want to be the next ‘best place to work’?
As you’ve read, we’re experts at this stuff. So if you’re serious about improving your culture and creating a workplace that your people truly want to be part of, then we can help you.